Where To Find Free Sandbags In Berkeley

BERKELEY, CA — The National Weather Service has warned all residents of Berkeley and the greater Bay Area to prepare for a potentially catastrophic storm that is expected to produce flooding and possibly deaths.

“To put it simply, this will likely be one of the most impactful systems on a widespread scale that this meteorologist has seen in a long while,” a National Weather Service report said Monday evening. “The impacts will include widespread flooding, roads washing out, hillsides collapsing, trees down, widespread power outages, immediate disruption to commerce, and the worst of all, likely loss of human life.

“This is truly a brutal system that we are looking at and needs to be taken seriously.”

The weather service issued a flood watch and a high wind warning for Wednesday, which includes Berkeley. Low lying areas can expect up to four inches of rain, the hills will receive up to six inches, and the mountains up to 10 inches of rain.

The High Wind Warning will be in effect from 4 a.m. Wednesday through 10 a.m. on Thursday. Expect sustained winds up to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. The coastline and mountain peaks could see gusts as high as 70 mph. With the ground already saturated from previous storms, expect trees and power lines to be blown down.

Sandbags are available for free at the Corporation Yard, 1326 Allston Way in Berkeley.

The weather service encouraged residents to prepare to hunker down in their homes for several days, while also being prepared to evacuate should flooding happen in your neighborhood.

The Bay Area is still cleaning up from the last storm, with multiple roads closed due to rock and mudslides, downed trees and washouts. The Oakland Zoo is closed for weeks, and there was an emergency release of water from Del Valle Reservoir in Livermore over the weekend.